


Choices

by ladyhoneydarlinglove



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M, cameo by Historia, god this is so dumb i'm so sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-13
Updated: 2014-01-13
Packaged: 2018-01-08 13:53:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1133406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyhoneydarlinglove/pseuds/ladyhoneydarlinglove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which ice cream choice is a metaphor Jean doesn't understand, and Eren is the worst boyfriend ever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Choices

“I’ll have a double scoop of butter pecan in a cone,” Jean tells Historia, and Eren heaves an exasperated sigh.

“Again?” he says. “This is the third time we’ve gone out for ice cream this summer and every single time you’ve gotten butter pecan. Why don’t you try something new for once?”

“I like butter pecan,” Jean counters.

“You might like something else too,” Eren says. “Come on, this place has like twenty different flavors. Try something else.”

“No,” Jean huffs. “I like butter pecan, so I’m getting butter pecan. Deal with it.”

“Don’t give it to him,” Eren tells Historia. “Make him try something else.”

“I don’t think I can do that,” Historia says, looking from one boy to the other, eyebrows furrowed. “Jean’s a customer, so I kind of have to do what he wants, Eren. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize, Historia, Eren’s just being an ass.” Jean glares at Eren. “Don’t drag Historia into this, you idiot. You’re the only one here stupid enough to make a fuss about ice cream flavors.”

“I just don’t see why you can’t try something besides butter pecan!” Eren snaps.

“And I don’t see why you can’t just let me pick my own damn ice cream!”

“Because studies have shown that people unwilling to make small changes in their day to day routines are also likely to be unwilling to make large life changes! If you’re not even willing to switch up your ice cream choice once in a while, what does that say about you willing to making big, potentially life-changing decisions?”

“What the hell does that have to do with anything?” Jean demands. “Why do you care about how I make big decisions? What big decisions do I even have to make right now?”

“Because—you—oh, forget it!” Eren yells, shoving Jean aside. “Have your stupid butter pecan ice cream! See what I care!”

Jean stares as Eren storms out of the shop. “What the fuck,” he hisses, running after him. “Eren! Eren, come back!”

Eren’s already at the corner, but when he tries to step out into the crosswalk a car whizzes past and almost clips him. He stumbles back, but Jean catches him before he hits the pavement. “Idiot!” he snaps. “Don’t get yourself run over by a car just because you’re mad at me!”

“I wasn’t trying to get run over! And let me go!” Eren pulls away, but Jean catches one of his wrists. “Jean, stop it!”

“Not until you tell me what’s going on! Why were you so upset about me picking butter pecan? It’s just ice cream!”

“It’s not about the ice cream!” Eren says, and his face turns beet red in a heartbeat. He redoubles his efforts to make Jean let go of his arm, hissing and swearing at him, but Jean just grabs on with both hands.

“What do you mean, it’s not about the ice cream?” Jean demands. “What was it about, then? Stop struggling and just tell me, Eren, for Christ’s sake! You’re not a kid anymore, stop throwing a temper tantrum!”

Eren whips around and wrenches his arm out of Jean’s grasp. “I am not throwing a temper tantrum!” he protests. Jean is prepared to run after him if he bolts, but Eren stays put, glaring at him instead. “Look, just forget about it, okay? It was stupid anyway.”

Everything you do is stupid, Jean is tempted to say, but reminds himself he is also not a kid and should at least _try_ to solve this like an adult before resorting to petty insults. “Look, if it got you this worked up, it can’t be that stupid,” Jean says instead. “So why don’t you just tell me? The worst I can do is break up with you, and I really doubt even you could do something that dumb by now.”

Eren opens his mouth to retort, but doesn’t say anything. A triumphant smirk is twitching on Jean’s lips when Eren says, “What do you mean, ‘by now’?” and Jean can feel his face start to burn.

“Well, just… You know.” Jean shoves his hands in his pockets and doesn’t look at Eren, attempting to feign nonchalance. “That we’ve… been together a while and just… Well…” Jean pauses, his eyes following the cars passing by and wondering if he would die if he jumped out into traffic or just be horribly maimed. “It’s just… It would probably take something really drastic for me to… you know.”

Jean looks at Eren, praying to God for him to understand without Jean having to say it, but either Eren doesn’t understand or doesn’t care that he’s making Jean squirm. Probably the latter, Jean thinks. “It would probably take something really drastic for you to do what?” Eren asks, and Jean wonders if he could kill them both by shoving them into traffic.

“I can’t believe you’re making me say it,” he snaps, and then, before Eren can retort, continues, “For me to break up with you, dumbass!”

Eren blinks. “Oh,” he says, anger melting off his face. “Oh.”

Jean groans and turns around so he doesn’t have to look at his stupid boyfriend. “I hate you,” he mumbles. “You are the worst boyfriend ever. I can’t believe I ever agreed to date you.” Jean fixes his glare at a piece of gum on the sidewalk. “This is so stupid. I am so stupid. Fuck.”

He jumps when a hand slides into his pocket, but it’s just Eren trying to take his hand while also not looking anywhere near him, for which Jean is thankful. He lets their fingers lace together. “Not in the pocket, dumbass, it’s way too hot out for that.”

“Sorry,” he hears Eren mumble. “Do you… Do you still want to get ice cream?”

“No,” Jean says flatly. “I never want to see ice cream again in my life.” He pauses, and then adds, in a softer tone, “But iced coffee might be good.”

“Yeah,” Eren agrees. “Iced coffee. That sounds… nice.”

Jean takes a tentative step, and then starts to walk slowly when Eren follows suit. There’s a coffee shop on the other side of the street, but they pass by it because Jean knows Eren likes the one closer to the library. Eren’s hand is hot and sweaty in his own; it’s kind of disgusting and horribly uncomfortable, and Jean doesn’t plan on letting go anytime soon.

“The lease for our apartment is up in August,” Eren says, and Jean glances at him. His head is down, still not looking at Jean, but his cheeks are redder with sunburn than embarrassment now. “Mikasa wants to renew, but I thought… With Marco leaving for his job, and you needing a new roommate…”

Eren trails off, and Jean gets it. A part of him is tempted to make Eren say it, but Jean likes to think that he’s only the second worst boyfriend in the world, so he doesn’t. “You sure you want to?” he says.

Eren’s cheeks begin to color again. “Yeah, I’m sure. But, you know.” He shrugs. “Only if you’re okay with it.”

Jean bites his lip. “I’d… be okay with it. We’ll have to work out the details, but that can wait. It’s only June. August is still two months away.”

“One and a half,” Eren corrects, and Jean wants to tell him to shut up, but he also supposes asking to move in with him has caused Eren enough stress for one day, so he declines to comment.

When they get their iced coffee, Jean orders his with vanilla syrup instead of his usual choice of unsweetened. He likes it better.


End file.
